Great Britain British junior doctors to receive big pay rise
In the UK, an end to the long wage dispute over substantial pay rises for junior doctors is within reach. The new government and the BMA union agreed that wages and salaries should rise by an average of 22 percent over two years.
29.07.2024, 18:18
SDA
For over a year and a half, doctors had repeatedly paralyzed the already severely ailing British healthcare system with day-long strikes. Hundreds of thousands of treatments had to be postponed. Members of the British Medical Association (BMA) still have to approve the deal before it can come into force.
Minister speaks of fair solution
"This is a fair offer," said Health Minister Wes Streeting. "Fair for junior doctors, fair for patients and fair for the (National Health Service) NHS." Now work could be done together to reduce waiting times for operations and reform the NHS, Streeting said.
The chronically underfunded and understaffed NHS has been repeatedly rocked by waves of strikes for months. The Conservative government, which was voted out of office at the beginning of July, had promised an average pay rise of 8.8 percent last year. This was accepted by several NHS professions. However, junior doctors rejected the offer at the time as insufficient.
"Junior doctors" make up a significant proportion of medical staff in England. This refers to doctors in training - they may have just completed their studies or have been working for the NHS for years.
